“Why didn’t I know that Peter Mandelson did not pass vetting?”
“Why didn’t I ask whether Peter Mandelson had passed vetting?”
“Why did nobody tell me that Peter Mandelson had not passed vetting?”
“If, as we keep claiming, it was not illegal for officials to tell me, why wouldn’t they have told me?”
“What would have given them the impression I might not want to know?”
“Should I be concerned that officials do not feel comfortable passing bad news up the chain?”
“Might there be some downsides to a reputation for being willing to throw advisers and officials under the bus?”
“Once they’ve already found themselves beneath said bus, how supportive is an official likely to be at any parliamentary select committees they happen to speak to afterwards?”
“Is a rate of staff turnover that’s seen me go through three chiefs of staff, five directors of communications, three cabinet secretaries, and two principal private secretaries in just 21 months actually good?”
“Why do my closest advisers keep letting me down like this?”
“Is announcing an appointment before vetting has commenced definitely the right way round to do things here?”
“Is not having asked whether a controversial figure passed his vetting really that much better than knowing he didn’t and lying about it?”
“Why are we briefing against the ‘it’s illegal to tell ministers stuff anyway’ line, given it’s by far and away the best excuse for my not having a piece of information for which literally anyone else on the planet would have remembered to ask?”
“Might my decision to appoint a twice-sacked cabinet minister to a high-profile post, even knowing he was personal friends with the world’s most famous convicted sex offender, pose any risks to my reputation for principle and probity?”
“And if it did, why did nobody tell me about it?”
“Was a job for Peter Mandelson really the thing I want to spend my political capital on?”
“What is political capital anyway?”
“And do I have any left?”
“Why is my government so lacking in direction?”
“Why didn’t Sue produce that plan for governing I’d expected her to?”
“Why has nobody arbitrated between John and Rachel in this row about military budgets?”
“Is Morgan definitely right that the best route to winning the next election is to alienate as many Labour voters as possible?”
“Are there any risks in following a strategy that runs ‘Nigel is right, vote for me to stop him’?”
“Is it a good sign that I’ve recently been compared to both Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson?”
“How much comfort can I take from the fact I’ve not yet been compared to Liz Truss?”
“Might a lack of interest in people, policy, making a case or talking to the country be in some way an impediment to a political career?”
“Why did I want this job in the first place anyway?”
“Who am I really furious towards here?”
“Should I be asking more questions?”
“If I was unexpectedly free of engagements from May 8, how many Arsenal games could I see this season?”
